Lottery Numbers A Derailed Man Gave ~ Creative Non-Fiction #15

Peaton Hugo

As soon as I graduated from secondary school and awaiting my final exam results, the only thing I engaged in was learning how to play scrabble and monopoly. Those were the games that made the rounds in our time. Video games weren't very popular as they were only for rich and spoilt brats. After my morning chores at home, I would just go to meet my friends. Fortunately enough, we lived in the same locality. In no time, I became an expert in both games. But while we were there, some guys kept talking about the lottery. Sometimes, they speak about how they won or nearly won a huge amount of money.

The lottery thing for me does not make sense. More so that our pastor had preached in the church that it is against the will of God to gamble. Hence, I didn't bother to ask how to join in playing or share the booties. As time went on, we started doing stuff other than playing monopoly or scrabble.

We would contribute money to cook some very delicious meals. This act became the order of the day as we always looked ahead of it. Some of my friends had girlfriends, ladies are the ones who would prepare the meals.

One day, we decided to take some buzz in a local shop where young folks like us to enjoy their days. It was my personal first experience and I cherished every moment even though I ripped from the small glass cup with a double mind. One mind told me that this was not expected of me while the other kept saying it was part of growing up. The sip from the dry gin specially made cup was out of this world. It was entirely a different tale. The woman who did the wares did a better job by making available peppered meat and Pomo (cow skin).

That drinking spot became our regular fun place. Seriously, we ensured never to involve ourselves in any kind of social vices that would cause us trouble. Before you knew it, we have become well known in the relaxation spot. It was my first time getting tipsy. All the while, my parents never knew I had started taking alcohol. They still believed I was the good boy they were always proud of. If anyone had told them that I was already doing things they would argue it to any length.

On Friday, a mentally detailed man came to the relaxation spot. He was well known because he goes around the community picking waste and at other times, he will clean gutters with anyone compelling him to do so. And most often, he doesn't get paid for such jobs. He came to beg for food. The owner of the spot had just bought a loaf of bread, preparing to eat it with beans but had to give it to this mentally derailed man.

With gladness in his heart, he requested that the shop owner take a pen and paper to write down what he was about to call. From the distance where my friend and I sat, we watched the scene but didn't take it seriously. The said man called out three figures to her:

17, 27, 42.

And asked her to play it with Baba Ijebu Lottery and to play it with some reasonable money. My friends decided to give it a try as it will cost them nothing to throw away as little as $10.

The lottery for the day was going to be closing in less than three hours. I followed them to the lottery center to play. It was my first time, I just followed sheepishly and observed how they went about the whole transaction. I thought of just putting some money into this in case it wins, so I played with $5.

On Saturday, the results were supposed to be announced by 12:00 noon. I have forgotten about it because I wasn't expecting much. When I went to church for choir rehearsals, my friends ran down to pick me. They were so elated that it's most likely that we won the game. They both won a thousand dollars each while I won five hundred.

The money was lavished. I can't even remember what I did with it except for the new sports shoes and trekkers that I bought. In a short while, the whole money was gone. We started looking around for the mentally derailed man and even brought him food to see if he would give us some special number to play again. He never did.